Higher education as a public good

In January, Augsburg joined the White House Office of Public Engagement, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the U.S. Department of Education, other education organizations, philanthropies, and businesses in launching the American Commonwealth Partnership (ACP) to begin a year of activity exploring how colleges and universities can reclaim their civic identity. At the heart of this initiative is the recognition that higher education should be—and must be—delivered for the common good rather than be allowed to become an individual benefit only for those who can afford it.

As part of the dialogue about the role of higher education in building civic identity, we asked Augsburg faculty from various academic departments to provide their perspectives on how higher education serves the public good. Their responses are published here.